Bill providing health care |
to needy children debated
By Todd Anderson
Assignment Reporter
A line has been drawn
between senators of two ideolog
ical camps in the debate over
health care for needy children,
Sen. Don Wesely of Lincoln said
Monday.
The Legislature spent the
entire morning debating LB 1063,
a bill that would provide health
care for children of low-income
families.
All senators agree that health
care for needy children is a good
idea, Wesely said, but discord
comes from how to administer
the program.
“It all comes down to whether
you’re anti-government or pro
government,” he said.
j The program, which uses $17
million of federal funds for the
next five years, must be adminis
tered according to guidelines set
by Congress.
A study conducted last year
determined that extending
Medicaid to cover medical assis
tance for children would be the
best way to administer the pro
gram.
But Sen. Pam Brown of
Omaha introduced an amendment
to the bill that would terminate
the program in two years to eval
uate how well the Medicaid pro
gram works.
Brown said more considera
tion should be given to turning to
the private sector to prevent peo
ple from relying too much on
government programs.
Sen. Kate Witek of Omaha,
who supported the amendment,
said she was concerned with
“crowding out” the private health
insurance business by channeling
state funds into the market.
She said the private sector
would help more people by
reducing the cost of state health
care and giving families choices.
Sen. Chris Beutler of Lincoln,
the bill’s main sponsor, said he
would support a two-year check
up of the program, but it should
6i
It all comes down
to whether you re
anti-government or
pro-government
Don Wesely
Lincoln senator
n’t be terminated.
“I would like to hear exactly
what is wrong with how the
Medicaid is running,” Beutler
said.
The bill was requested by
Gov. Ben Nelson and has been
co-signed by 34 senators.
Wesely said the Medicaid pro
gram efficiently provided assis
tance to low-income families and
would continue to do so.
Wesely introduced his own
amendment to the bill, but the
Legislature adjourned before
opening debate.
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